Goblet Week

Goblet Making Demonstrations and Goblet Sale

January 14–18 • 10am–5pm

Goblet making has long been a tradition across many cultures worldwide.

In the Pacific Northwest, artists and makers have been steeped in the Italian approach to glassmaking through the Studio Glass movement, and Venetian-style goblets are a fixture in our local glassmaking scene. These goblets are notable for their thinness and complexity. As our culture becomes increasingly dependent on technology, it also becomes detached from the handmade. Goblet Week began with the mission to highlight the magic of handmade functional glass pieces — specifically, Venetian-style goblets.

Goblet Week 2026 will feature four Visiting Artists who represent a new generation in goblet-making: Kit Paulson, Chris Schuelke, Ryan Thompson, and Paul Cunningham.

Each artist will spend their day in the Hot Shop showcasing their unique approach to making goblets (or “cups,” as they are affectionately called by the artists). On Sunday, the Museum of Glass Hot Shop Team will take center stage and conclude the week making their signature goblet designs. Sunday’s programming will also feature a lecture on Venetian goblets by Hot Shop Emcee Walter Lieberman at 1pm. Each day, audiences will learn about the different techniques and processes used by each artist in their goblet designs. See below for more about the artists.

Additionally, Museum of Glass will host an Artist Reception + Wine Tasting and Goblet Sale the evening of Saturday, January 17. More details and tickets below.

Tickets for the Artist Reception + Wine Tasting and Goblet Sale are limited. Please contact Lindsay Carlisle to inquire about availability.

We’ll see you at Goblet Week!

Admission to Goblet Week can be purchased ahead of time through the button below or day-of at the Admissions Desk per regular admission admission.

Artist Schedule

Wednesday, January 14 -
Thursday, January 15 -
Friday, January 16 -
Saturday, January 17 -
Sunday, January 18 - Museum of Glass Hot Shop Team + Venetian Goblet Lecture

Additional Opportunities

Goblet Week Raffle

Every Museum guest during Goblet Week will have the opportunity to purchase Goblet Week Raffle Tickets for $25. The Raffle winner will receive a hand-blown wine bottle signed by every Goblet Week artist and two goblets made by our Hot Shop Team! Tickets may be purchased at the Admissions Desk in-person or by calling 253.284.4719.

Goblet Week Hot Shop Floor Experience

The Museum is offering an exclusive opportunity to watch the artists up-close with a seat on the Hot Shop floor. One seating will be available each day. Contact Lindsay Carlisle at lcarlisle@museumofglass.org for more information.

Artist Reception + Wine Tasting and Goblet Sale

Saturday, January 17 • 5:30–7:30pm

$65 General Admission / $50 for Museum Members
5 wine tastings + light bites

We cordially invite you to join us for an Artist Reception + Wine Tasting and Goblet Sale on Saturday, January 17. Guests will have the opportunity to meet and mingle with each of Goblet Week’s participating artists and enjoy light bites and wine tastings from select wineries. Additionally, one-of-a-kind goblets created by the featured artists will be available for purchase. We encourage attendees to visit the Museum in the late afternoon, prior to the reception, to watch _______ create goblets in the Hot Shop. Event ticket price includes Museum admission.

In addition to the sale, goblets from previous Goblet Week artists, including Dante Marioni, James Mongrain, Michael Schunke, and more, will be available through a special silent auction.

This event is 21+.

About the Artists

Goblet Week began in 2024, featuring artists such as Dante Marioni, Nancy Callan, and James Mongrain — the first generation of makers influenced by the Venetian-style goblets of Lino Tagliapietra and others who came from Murano, Italy, to the Pacific Northwest. In the years since, the tradition of goblet making has been documented, and the knowledge and techniques have been passed on to younger generations. This pursuit is not always lucrative, but a way of paying homage to the roots of glassmaking and keeping the practice alive for future aspiring artists.

Goblet Week 2026 features artists who comprise a new generation of goblet-making. Read more about each artist below.

Kit Paulson

Wednesday, January 14

Kit Paulson received her MFA from Southern Illinois University and her BFA from Alfred University. She has taught across the United States and internationally at schools including Penland School of Craft; Pilchuck Glass School; Corning Museum of Glass; Bildwerk Frauenau, Germany; National College of Art and Design, Dublin, Ireland; and Canberra Glassworks in Canberra, Australia. Kit has completed residencies including the S12 Gallery in Bergen, Norway, Museum of Glass, and most recently, a three-year residency at Penland School of Craft. She has received scholarships from Pilchuck Glass School, Corning Museum of Glass, Pittsburgh Glass Center, The Windgate Foundation, and the Glass Art Society. Her work has been published in New Glass Review editions 36, 37, 38 and 41 and is in the permanent collection of the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Museum. She is currently a studio artist in Penland, North Carolina.

kitpaulsonglass.com
@kitpaulson

Ryan Thompson

Thursday, January 15

Ryan Thompson began studying glass at Bowling Green State University in 2011. After graduation, Ryan accepted a position at the Toledo Museum of Art: Glass Pavilion as a workshop instructor and a studio maintenance technician. During his time in Toledo Ryan was fortunate to work with many established glass artists, both at the museum as well as many other local glass shops located in the heart of “The Glass City”.

 In 2018, Ryan relocated to Detroit, MI, to work as a production glassmaker at The Henry Ford Museum’s Greenfield Village. In 2021 Ryan was promoted to shop lead and began coordinating the teams’ efforts to create nearly 8,000 glass objects annually and maintain the furnaces and other equipment that make glass blowing possible.

During the winter of 2023, Ryan was case in the reality TV competition Blown Away. Ryan proudly finished in second place, and his participation in the competition has changed his life dramatically. In May of 2024, Ryan purchased his own glassblowing studio in downtown Toledo and has relocated back to the Glass City to begin his own, fulltime artistic practice.

Ryan applies the technical precision of Venetian style glass blowing with a contemporary edge to his vessel making practice. From ornate goblets and elegant vessel compositions to contemplative kinetic sculptures and modern lighting. Ryan’s passions lay in the process over the product and are fueled by a constant pursuit for knowledge and expertise.

ryanthompsonglass.com
@ryanthompsonglass

Chris Schuelke

Friday, January 16

Michael J. Schunke is a contemporary American glass artist and designer. He dedicates his work to the pursuit of form and the practice of making. With a strong sense of design focused on the relationship between line and volume, Schunke creates expressive silhouettes and containers of personal meaning. Since his introduction to glassmaking as a student at the Tyler School of Art (Philadelphia, PA), and the Rhode Island School of Design (Providence, RI), Schunke has dedicated his practice to the pursuit of form and refining his method of making.

Schunke is an avid educator of the medium and teaches glassmaking around the globe. He is a former professor of glass at the Toyama Institute of Glass Art (Toyama, Japan), and he has taught at the Pilchuck Glass School (Stanwood, WA), Haystack School of Crafts (Deer Isle, ME), Penland School of Crafts (Penland, NC), UrbanGlass (Brooklyn, NY), The Pittsburgh Glass Center (Pittsburgh, PA), Cam Ocagi (Instanbul, Turkey), Wheaton Arts (Millville, NJ), and Eugene Glass School (Eugene, OR).

Schunke is an award-winning artist, designer, and maker who has been recognized as a Fellow at the Creative Glass Center of America (Millville, NJ) and as an Artist in Residence at Museum of Glass and the Toledo Museum of Art (Toledo, OH). He has been hosted as a Visiting Artist at numerous museums and universities, most recently at the Corning Museum of Glass (Corning, NY), Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond, VA), and The Massachusetts College of Art and Design (Boston, MA). 

Schunke's glass objects and sculptures are housed in museum collections  including the Ebeltoft Museum of Glass (Ebeltoft, Denmark),The Museum of American Glass (Millville, NJ), Toledo Museum of Art (Toledo, OH), Milwaukee Art Museum (Milwaukee, WI), Museum of Glass (Tacoma, WA), and Toyama Museum of Glass (Toyama, Japan). 

In addition to pursuing his personal studio practice, Schunke co-operates Vetro Vero, a glassblowing and design studio, with his wife, co-designer and fellow artist Josie Gluck. They live in Chester County, PA.

Paul Cunningham

Saturday, January 17

Paul Cunningham began his career in glass in 1986 at The Glass Eye in Seattle, Washington. After two years of production work, he was hired by Dale Chihuly as one of his lead gaffers. Over the last 20+ years, Cunningham has maintained a working relationship with Dale in both on-staff and consultative roles. While working with Chihuly, he began an additional collaborative relationship with Benjamin Moore, founder of B.M.I Studios. Through these two key relationships, as well his time studying at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts and Pilchuck Glass School, Cunningham has had the honor of learning from many great glass artists including Lino Tagliapietra, Dan Dailey, Dante Marioni, Preston Singletary and Robbie Miller.

From 2002–2008, Cunningham established and managed Cunningham Glass Hot Shop. This space was unique in that it offered shared studio time and materials on an hourly basis with artists from across the Northwest. Cunningham closed the studio in 2008 to focus on collaborative projects in the Greater Seattle Area, but has never stopped creating and showing work and teaching around the world.

cunningham.glass

Museum of Glass Hot Shop Team

Sunday, January 19

Featuring artists Benjamin Cobb, Nick Davis, Kristin Elliot, Gabe Feenan, and Sarah Gilbert, the Museum of Glass Hot Shop Team is one of the best glassblowing groups in the world. Each with their own unique skills, this collaborative team can be seen in action every day the Museum is open. The Hot Shop Team is instrumental to Visiting Artists, offering support as gaffers and helping to bring each artist’s vision to life. The Hot Shop Team also creates work on commission and for the Museum Store. For over 20 years, the Hot Shop Team has been designing and making unique goblets for the Museum’s annual Red Hot Auction & Gala.

Outside of MOG, each member of the Hot Shop Team is active in their own artistry and glassmaking practice. Learn more about each artist below:

Benjamin Cobb: benjamincobbglass.com
Nick Davis: nrdglass.com
Kristin Elliot: gritcitycoldworks.com
Gabe Feenan: gabefeenanglass.com
Sarah Gilbert: sarahgilbertglass.net

Thank you to our Goblet Week Artist Reception Wine Partners